According to the American Banking Journal the Feds are going to cut mortgage insurance premiums again saving the average FHA borrower an average of $500 per year! Read the full article here : ABA Journal. Hopefully this will continue to increase our expectations for the 2017 market! This change takes effect on loans closed after January 27th 2017 and the expect to save 25 basis points on the insurance premium. This Market Watch article really explains FHA loans and why the FHA is passing along these savings. They are expecting $1M home buyers to purchase using FHA backed loans this year. I can say the majority of closings I see here in the office are FHA backed loans. Here’s to another interesting year! I ❤️ Real Estate.

If you are thinking about moving to our friendly bay village this weekend is a great way to find out what we are all about!

On Saturday, December 3rd 2016 several gracious home owners open their houses to the public and the Woman’s League and Junior League of Amityville host the annual Holiday Homes Tour. The houses are decorated and there are small items available to purchase such asmation on their website at ornaments or baked goods. Tickets are $20 each and you can find
more inforAmityvilleJuniorLeague.com.

The Kiwanis and the Amityville Fire/Rescue Department will have trees and wreaths for sale on the corner of Bennett Place and Merrick Road on Saturday from 9 am to noon as well. You can find out more about the Kiwanis on their Amityville Kiwanis Facebook Page.

Saturday night at 5 pm the village hosts is Annual Christmas Tree Lighting. The village gathers around the heart of our village by the gazebo on Park Avenue and Broadway. Santa pays us a visit and many of our local children participate either by singing in the choir or showing off their dancing as part of the Great South Bay Dance Company. You can learn more about this event on the Amityville Village website.

The excitement continues on Sunday when St. Martin of Tours School located at 30 Union Avenue hosts their annual Christmas Fair and Wreath Sale from 9 am to 3 pm in the Parish Center. More information about St. Martin of Tours School can be found here St. Martin of Tours School. Please note non of the other events listed on the school website are open to the public except for the Christmas Fair.

Once again the Amityville Police Department is collecting new, unwrapped gifts for Toys for Tots. The mission of the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program is to collect new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December each year, and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to less fortunate children in the community in which the campaign is conducted.

A new, unwrapped gift can be dropped off to Village Hall at 21 Ireland Place between the hours of 8am and 4pm. The collection box is located on the 1st floor outside of the elevator bank. The collection runs through December 18th.

Come and participate in any of these wonderful events and see what our town is really about, the giving and grateful spirit of a small friendly bay village. And if you are thinking about buying a home here I am happy to help as a local real estate expert I can help you find the home of your dreams! Enjoy the holidays!

I recently earned my SRS designation with the National Association of Realtors (NAR). A SRS designation means that I have taken the courses and provided enough past history of client relationships to earn the title of a “Seller Representative Specialist” or SRS in short. There are many reasons that a seller should list their home with an agent that not only cares about their best interest but has the knowledge to implement that in the current market conditions. Here are some bullet points;

members of an elite group of trained seller advocates

concentrate our efforts to ensure you the seller are at the center of the sale

understand that negotiation skills are critical to the success of your transaction

adhere to the highest level of professional ethics and business practices

uniquely qualified to exceed your expectations and yield your trust

have an advanced level of understanding on how to collaborate with a variety of cooperating agents of all skill levels to ensure that the ‘best’ buyer has an opportunity to purchase your home.

There are several ways to hire an agent to represent you in the sale of your house. The most common is an Exclusive Right to Sell which can be marketed in two ways;

First the listing is held as and “office exclusive” where they do not invite cooperating brokers and the exposure is limited to the listing agents marketing efforts.

In the second scenario the listing is shared through the Multiple Listing Service where the listing agent invites cooperating agents from all the MLS offices to participate in the efforts to find a buyer for your home. In this case the listing agent communicates with the cooperating agents while you deal directly and only with your agent. The listing agent has a fiduciary responsibility to work in the best interest of the seller.

If you are selling your house, it is beneficial to have your home marketed and exposed to every potential buyer. The best possible outcome for a seller when presenting their home for sale is to have multiple offers from which to choose. They should then utilize the skill of their Realtor® to help review which is the best and highest terms for you. This is why you hire a professional Realtor ®, it definitely makes a difference.

Give me a call when you are ready to sell your home. I have my E-Pro Certification AND my SRS Designation and I have your best interest at heart.

This is rapidly becoming a sellers market. If you are a first time home buyer you need to educate yourself in order to be competitive with your peers in seeking your first home. This article in which I am quoted gives you some helpful tips. Better yet, hire “Buyers Agent” to help you navigate these unchartered waters.

Are you looking for a home in the Massapequa, Amityville, Amity Harbor Area, Copiague? Not only am I an expert in these areas but I am happy to set up a good old fashioned “Retriever” Search for you! I will set you up in my system so you get notified of anything new to the market or any price changes to help you find your dream home! Don’t waste your time searching Zillow and Trulia when you can get hourly updates of the areas you are looking in!